Commercial & Business

Small and medium business owners face legal issues every day. From buying a business and employing staff to drafting service agreements and entering into commercial leases we can provide help each step of the way.

Criminal

A conviction for any sort of criminal charge can have a serious and lasting impact on both your family and career. Our criminal law team can represent you in all SA Criminal Courts regardless of the offence charged.

Family

A relationship breakdown is stressful and so you need to have trust and confidence that your family lawyer understands and will work for you. For help with divorce, property settlement or children’s issues our family law team will work to protect your rights and guide you through the process.

Probate & Estates

When a loved one passes, the legal issues that can arise are the last thing you want to have to deal with. Our specialist estates lawyers can help you through this difficult time whatever the nature of your involvement in the estate.

Wills & POA

The only way to ensure that your wishes are met, whether after your passing or if you are unable to make decisions for yourself at some time in the future, is to have a properly prepared Will, Power of Attorney and Advance Care Directive.

DEVELOPMENT: COMMON SENSE PREVAILS WHEN McDONALDS MOVES NEXT DOOR

June 14, 2017

When McDonalds wanted to build a 24 hour restaurant in the Adelaide suburb of Woodville, a group of neighbouring residents banded together to try and stop the development. The case shows what issues a resident may raise in objection to a development and how to go about making those objections.

Background

In 2011, McDonalds applied to a local council for development approval to build a new restaurant on Port Road, Woodville. The restaurant was to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Initially, the council imposed conditions on the approval to build the restaurant. Some residents didn’t think the conditions went far enough and successfully took legal action to appeal this decision. The council’s decision was reversed and the development consent was refused.

In 2015, McDonalds again applied for development approval, having made some changes to the proposed development in line with the Environment Resources and Development Court’s earlier findings. These changes were effectively the result of residents voicing their concerns and exercising their rights to dispute the development.

The site of the proposed restaurant was in a mixed use zone, meaning that there were both commercial and residential buildings in that zone.

This type of development was categorised as “non-complying,” meaning that there were potentially controversial aspects of the proposal or that it may have adverse impact on the surrounding environment. Because it was non-complying, anyone could object to the proposed development by writing to the council. This is called a “Category 3” development application.

The Council gave development approval, but a group of residents again objected to the proposed development and appealed to the Court. The appealing residents lived in homes neighbouring the proposed development site.

The residents had concerns about:

The increase in noise (from the restaurant, cars, patrons, and waste collection services).

The building being too close to their residential land.

There not being enough car parking at the proposed restaurant, potentially causing overflow customer parking onto the street (and reducing on street parking outside of the residents’ homes).

The possibility that the restaurant would attract criminal activity or vandalism in the restaurant’s carpark and also on the residents’ street.

The possible traffic congestion on their street.

Whether 24 hour trading was excessive for the area.

The look and character of the restaurant exterior and street appeal considering that the neighbouring properties were mostly residential homes.

The size and height of the McDonalds sign.

The brightness of the McDonalds sign.

The residents were mostly concerned that the development would interfere with, reduce or otherwise affect their enjoyment of their homes and land that were near the proposed development.

The Court considered a range of issues including:

Whether the proposed development was an appropriate form of land use in the mixed use zone.

Whether the noise produced from the proposed development would comply with noise requirements.

Whether the car parking and traffic were within the development requirements.

Whether crime prevention was an issue.

Whether the sign should be changed.

Whether 24 hour trading was appropriate.

Decision

McDonalds had provided expert evidence to persuade the Court that most of the residents’ claims had already been addressed, for example by building a three metre high acoustic wall to reduce noise to the neighbouring homes and by increasing the number of carparks on the site.

Although the appeal by the residents was dismissed and McDonalds was given development approval for the restaurant, it is worth noting that the approval was only given because the residents’ concerns were taken into account. They flexed their collective muscle and McDonalds responded by fixing the issues before submitting the new application.

What does it mean?

The residents were successful in getting McDonalds to change its proposal so that the quiet enjoyment of their land wasn’t compromised. It was a significant achievement in a case that could easily have become a David and Goliath stand-off.

It shows the type of issues that you can raise as a neighbouring land owner if a substantial development is planned near your home. Whether it is residential or commercial, if the development will impact your way of life or your enjoyment of your home or land, then you may have grounds to appeal or object to a proposed development.

Much will depend on how your land (and the proposed development) is zoned and it can really help to have someone experienced in development issues to look over the proposal and work out exactly how it will impact on you, your enjoyment of your land and potentially the value of your land.

This is where a good development and planning lawyer is invaluable because often they can identify issues that you may not have seen or may not have occurred to you. Websters Lawyers has a team of experienced development, planning and environmental lawyers who can help you. Contact us today for a free first interview. Because the sooner you act, often the better off you’ll be.